Silly Rabbit!
by storygirl1015
Summary: Alice left for her world, leaving the residents of Wonderland deadlier than ever. Peter takes it upon himself to retrieve her, and royally screws up by bringing back a stranger with an uncanny resemblence to their dear Alice. The residents of Wonderland scramble to adjust to the new Outsider in their midst and poor Marina just wants to go home!
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first Heart no Kuni no Alice fic. Please read and review. Thanks!**

**I don't own any rights to this awesome manga, just my OC Marina.**

**Summary**: Alice is gone and Wonderland hasn't been the same since, so Peter's determined to hunt down his love—even at the expense of being a kidnapper—but the girl he first takes to be his Alice turns out to be anyone but!

* * *

"La-la-la…" hummed a little girl as she sat under a large tree on her sprawling England estate. "There!" she held in her small hands, a crown of Dutch clovers, carefully knitted together just as her older sister had shown her. She stood up, careful not to damage the delicate crown, and brushed off her new dress. Her mother would have a fit if she came inside with even a frill out of place.

She turned toward the direction of her house, looming like a majestic castle. But then, her father was a very wealthy duke, so it made sense that they lived so…lavishly. She beamed at the thought of the warm smile her mother would have for her when she showed her the crown. Her mother always called her youngest daughter her "little gardener" because she had always seemed to have a knack for it.

She started towards the manor with her basket swinging from her arm, full of colorful blossoms she could weave into new designs later. There was a certain skip in her step, and as she began to sing again, birds flew from the trees to circle her.

Marina smiled. She didn't know why, but whenever she sang, animals always stopped to listen. "_Doe— a deer—a female deer…Ray, a drop of golden sun_," she began, and the birds seemed to pick up the tune quickly. They fluttered and twittered, playfully tugging the ends of her long hair. "Me_, a name I call myse_—oomph!" Marina tripped over a pebble and fell to the grass with a small thump, the flowers from her basket flying every which way. "Ooh…" she groaned softly as she sat up, her clear blue eyes slightly watery.

Inspecting her knees and rubbing her slightly sore elbow, she looked down nervously to see her dress had a small tear near the end. Pouting, she lifted it carefully between her thumn and index finger, sighing. '_Maybe Victoria can help me fix this before mother sees…_' After all, her sister was an excellent seamstress. She could sew and stitch anything imaginable.

Marina tried to imagine where her sister would be right now. '_In her room, brushing her hair in front of the mirror.'_ She decided, knowing her sister always brushed her hair in front of the mirror whenever she was feeling nervous and wanted to relax. She lifted the ends of her dress and pivoted on her heels, when something bright and yellow caught her eyes.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, her small pink lips pursed with wonder. Near her foot, a happy yellow flower she had never seen before swayed to and fro. It was a delicate buttercup yellow, but judging by the shape, it was something different entirely.

Carefully, Marina crouched lower to inspect the blossom, when she noticed nearby, yet another beautiful flower, this one an autumn orange. '_And another?_' she wondered curiously.

That was until she looked up with a gasp to see that a whole trail of brightly colored flowers she had never seen before was set before her, almost like a path. '_These flowers are so pretty! Mother would be pleased if I brought her a bouquet of these.'_

She followed the trail of flowers, entranced by their colors as they swayed in the wind. "_Pick me!_" they all seemed to sing. Marina smiled, happy to oblige as she plucked one and then another. Her basket was soon close to full again, and when she looked up, content, she noticed that she had strayed quite far from her spot by the old oak.

'_Oh no, what will mother say if I miss afternoon tea! Lord Earlbury and his family will be there!'_ Lord Earlbury was a very influential man and an acquaintance of her father's from long ago. His eldest son was to be her sister's fiancé, and she was sure that if she missed the official engagement ceremony, her parents would be beyond disappointed.

"I-I'll retrace my steps…" Marina whispered to herself.

She whirled around just in time to see a strange man with…_rabbit ears_ lunging toward her. "Alice, my love, at last you'll be mine! I've found you it seems for the final time!" Marina immediately began to fight the stranger as he tried to wrap his arms around her, trying to scream for help as he clamped a hand around her mouth.

Her eyes watered fearfully as she frantically struggled against him. '_Mum…dad…Victoria…someone, anyone— help me!_' Tears freely dripped from her eyes now, and she heard the man exhaling loudly as he dragged her backwards, her basket lying forgotten on the ground. '_I…I'm being taken by a scary man w-with bunny ears…what does he want from me?_'

Suddenly, the man's hand was removed from her mouth, and she saw him fish a strange vial from his pocket. She blinked, trying to squirm away. What was in that? Was he going to drug her? She got her answer when he clamped a tight had around her jaw, forcing her trembling lips apart.

"Now, drink up Alice my dear~! When you've finished the potion, the time will be near." As soon as he'd finished forcing her to drink it all, Marina coughed a little, and her eyes began to feel slightly heavy.

"Ah, my plan has worked I'm so elated! I knew it was best to bring a sedative~" he hummed happily. Marina's blurred sky blue eyes stared into the man's grinning face before she fell forward, caught in the arms of her bunny-earred captive.

* * *

At Heart Castle, the queen was in a rather sour mood, and almost everyone was staying clear, except for a particularly pesky knight. Vivaldi blew a loud breath out, one delicate hand holding her scepter lazily, "Every day has been so dull since Alice's parting. We wish to be entertained in a way that our normal beheadings can no longer fulfill."

Ace, her head knight, grinned stupidly, as oblivious as ever. "May I suggest Her Majesty trying a new hobby? Perhaps croquet or cricket?" he laughed easily. "Or maybe get a new pet like a dog or…a rabbit." He looked out one of the throne room's elegant windows to see Peter White entering through the front gates with a certain skip to his step and a burlap sack slung over his shoulders.

Vivaldi's face turned a light shade of purple as she slammed her scepter down angrily. "Alice meant more to us than a mere _pet_. She is—was one of a kind to us." The Queen huffed. "Like the adorable younger sister we have always longed for…"

The knight merely shrugged. "I get it. Everyone misses her, you know. Even Julius, if you can believe it," He seemed to laugh off the thought of his moody friend the Clockmaker getting even gloomier at Alice's absence, but his eyes held a thoughtful gleam to them.

Vivaldi was about to reply, when the sound of the throne's doors being thrown open caused them both to jump. "White! Where have you been! We sent you out nearly two time changes ago!" the Queen hissed, pointing her scepter menacingly at the grinning rabbit. "We are in a particularly foul mood as of late, and beheading you would certainly not weigh on our conscious."

The Prime Minister simply waved off the threat, his bright smile never faltering. Ace quirked a brow at the wiggling sack over his shoulder, edging closer to inspect it. "Hey, whatcha got there, Peter?" he moved to touch the sack, only for Peter to swat his hand away with a snarl. The knight chuckled good-naturedly, "I think you killed them wrong; it looks like whoever you bagged is still alive." Peter scowled at the comment, obviously quickly growing irritated with Ace's prying.

"It is none of your business what I do. Stick to your base role as a pawn, knight."

Ace's eyes gleamed darkly at this, but Vivaldi broke in before anyone could draw their weapon.

"White, I order you to show us who you have brought into our Castle immediately!"

This time, the rabbit pouted, before quickly placing the sack on the floor and undoing the tie. "I guess there's no hiding that our love has prevailed. I have found Alice again at last!" And with that he dumped the sack, and a young girl tumbled out in a heap of limbs. Ace eyed her curiously and the Queen leaned forward on her throne with a gasp.

Everyone was silent with Peter rubbing his nose and smirking proudly and the other two Roleholders in the room just staring at the foreigner in their midst. She was definitely not a resident of Wonderland, but as Vivaldi quickly noticed, she was also _not_ the beloved Outsider they had all grown so fond of.

"White, who is this child you have found?" she asked flatly, her eyes studying the ignorant rabbit coldly.

"Why, it is obviously our beloved Alice, my Queen!" he pointed down to the girl, before glancing at her, only to gape in shock. She had blond hair, slightly lighter than Alice's and her teary eyes weren't his beloved's alluring turquoise, but a dreamy blue instead.

She also wore her long hair in loose pigtails that curled at the ends with red bows and a red dress very similar to Alice's, only less poufy. Ace suddenly burst out laughing as he looked at the sniffling girl kneeling on the floor. Even he could tell it wasn't Alice. Though she _did_ look a lot like her…so he guessed he could understand how Peter might've been fooled from a distance. "Y-you kidnapped the wrong person!" he laughed hysterically. "How c-can you l-love someone and t-then get them mixed up for someone else?!"

Vivaldi frowned as she noticed that Ace's raucous laughter only seemed to be upsetting the poor girl more. "Ace, silence! Or we will have off with your head."

She then gracefully slid off the throne to stand beside the crying girl, who was staring at her with frightened blue eyes. "It is alright, child. Now tell us who you are." she commanded.

"I-I'm M-Marina…I w-was at home and that r-rabbit man took me…" she hiccupped, rubbing her reddened eyes.

Ace, now having calmed down, stepped closer to the girl and kneeled to her height as well, examining her face. "Weird…she's not Alice, but they have the same face…I wonder if that's an Outsider thing?" he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Marina stared at him in confusion, completely ignoring the flabbergasted rabbit man in the corner along with the other two. "W-who are you…? Why do you keep saying I'm Alice…"

Peter, his ears lowered wore a heartbroken expression as he stared at the foreigner. "If you're not my Alice and you look like her, then who are you?"

Marina gave him a small smile, "I'm…her daughter. Marina Liddell."

_THUNK!_

Ace walked over to kick the unconscious rabbit, who was frothing at the mouth. Marina frowned slightly at him, "W-will he be ok?" She knew she really shouldn't be concerned about her kidnapper, but she couldn't help but ask.

"Fine, unfortunately," sighed the Queen. "Now, about you being Alice's daughter…do you know where you are?"

Marina swallowed as she looked around the lavish room. She had been in castles before, but nothing like this, "Not in England anymore…" she mumbled weakly.

* * *

**Oh-ho! Shocking, isn't it?! Alice's daughter?! How can that be? And more importantly, how will the other residents of Wonderland react when they find out? Will Marina learn to survive in her wacky and deadly new environment; will she actually learn to like it?! All these things and more will soon be revealed. **

**Now, why does Marina say she's "not in England anymore..?" Weeell, because the original writer of Alice in Wonderland (the novel, not the manga/game series) Lewis Carrol, was from England. He made up the story of _Alice in Wonderland_ to tell to a friend's daughter while taking a leisurely boat ride on the River Thane. A bit of literature trivia to impress your friends with. HehHeh. All true. Look it up if you doubt me. **

**Anyway, no, it never makes reference that QuinRose's Alice is English, but since Carrol's definitely **_**is**_** I wanted to make reference to it. So, in this fic, QuinRose's Alice married a wealthy English gentleman and moved there [England] to be with him. Marina is technically half-English, so yes, she does have a bit of an accent from being born and growing up there. Lol **

**Please review!**

**Preview of Next Chapter…**

"Well…while the resemblance is there, she certainly doesn't seem to have Alice's fire."

"I'm clicking my heels three times but nothing's working!"

"Does anyone even know _how _she's Alice's daughter?"

"Well, when a man and woman love each other and decide to reproduce…"

"That pervert cat looked up my dress!"

**To find out whose saying these things and more, stay tuned for next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome back everyone! What new surprises await Marina as she meets the other citizens of Wonderland? Read on and see! Oh, also, just so you know Marina is a teenager. Between 15-16 (probably). But she just has an introverted, innocent personality (that'll be explained later too). Anyways, I didn't want you guys to think I threw Alice's daughter into a land of pedobears that were getting all hot and bothered over a ten-year old. XD**

**Marina Liddell picks up the adventure in Wonderland one year later where Alice left off. The residents are shocked to discover what her relationship to the beloved Outsider is, and even more shocked that she's never been told of the world beyond the rabbit hole.**

* * *

A light wind blew through the open window and tickled her cheek. Marina stared at the surrounding land wistfully, remembering the forest her family often visited in her childhood. She couldn't believe this was happening.

How could something so surreal possibly be true? And yet, here she was. No amount of pinching, slapping, telling herself to wake up or the like was going to change the fact that she was really in another world then the one she knew. A world called Wonderland. Vivaldi had been kind enough to explain everything, and though at first she found it disconcertingly unbelievable, it obviously wasn't her home or anyplace she could recall going to before, and what would the queen gain from lying?

She had told Marina about Wonderland and its strange game, which she was now apparently apart of after being forced to drink the liquid in the vial called the Medicine of Heart. She knew about the three domains all apparently in a never-ending and very violent feud for territory with one another. Although there was apparently one neutral place in the center called Clock Tower. There were other people who lived in Wonderland besides Ace, Peter and Vivaldi as well.

Although Peter—after getting over his shock—had explained they did not all have as important roles as others. Many were simply "pawns" as he called them, useless and unimportant. Marina didn't understand how he could be so callous about other human beings, until a servant of the castle had come to escort her to a guest room she was currently staying in.

At first she had simply stared in shock, rude though it may have been. The woman had no face! It shook her up quite a bit to learn that besides the important people of Wonderland (or Roleholders as they were known), _no one_ had a face. It was like a sign of rank, which was why the fact that she wasn't a roleholder but still possessed a distinct face was such a big deal.

It set her apart. Apart from other residents of the country as an "outsider". A special term for a foreigner who was destined to be awed and adored by everyone she met in this country, or so Peter had told her. They would all grow to love her eventually, because those were the rules. Marina couldn't say she completely understood everything. Who could? What they called _rules_ were little more than ridiculous principles one would find in a whimsical game for schoolchildren. But she didn't dare tell them that for fear of offending her gracious hosts.

She watched in silent wonder as what they called "time-periods" changed. One minute, it was evening, the next it was a bright and sunny morning. No night at all. There truly was no rhyme or reason to this place. It was a curious and dangerous land, but despite that she was starting to feel a little uneasy.

Being in the castle was nice, since she had nowhere else to go while she tried to figure out how to get out of this land, but she wanted to know more about this place. To explore.

'_Would Mr. Peter and Queen Vivaldi let me explore if I asked nicely?_' Deciding there was no harm in asking, Marina turned to exit in an attempt to find one of the Roleholders who lived at the castle, only for her door to be suddenly thrown open as Ace, the man who was the head knight, strolled in casually.

"Hey, Marina! Going somewhere?" he grinned charmingly, and feeling as if she'd been caught red-handed, Marina flushed, bowing her head a little.

"Uh…I was…just g-going to see if I could get p-permission to explore?" she ventured timidly, not knowing how to address someone of his rank.

"What a coincidence! I was just heading out myself," Ace jabbed his thumb proudly at his own chest before extending a hand out to her, "Care to join me?"

Bright blue eyes blinked questioningly, "Oh, won't it be a bother having to show me around?"

"Hahaha! C'mon, I'm a knight, escorting fair ladies is practically part of my duty. Besides, you're new here and it's not safe for you to go out alone on your first time when you could get lost or hurt. Just let me guide you wherever you want to go," Deciding that he was probably as trustworthy a guide as any, Marina carefully placed her hand in his open one, much to his seeming delight.

He tugged her along merrily so that she stumbled several times as they rounded a corner and swept down a long, decorated corridor. More faceless people like the woman she'd met earlier watched them curiously as they passed and Marina had to wonder at just how odd a pair they must have made.

"Uh, S-sir Ace, d-do you happen to have a particular destination in mind?"

Ace half turned, never slowing down. "I thought I'd introduce you to a good buddy of mine. He'll help you out if I'm ever not around." He explained.

"W-well okay then…" Perhaps Marina was a little too trusting, having been so sheltered for most of her life. But at that moment she really had no idea what she could be possibly getting herself into.

* * *

"Well, you've certainly gone and done it _this time_, haven't you?"

One sleek white ear twitched, and then the other as Wonderland's Prime Minister whirled around to face the floating apparition. "Silence! I don't need to hear your smarting remarks, when clearly I'm suffering a broken heart." Peter fumed, causing the silver-haired man to sigh.

A long pipe appeared out of nowhere and he began blowing smoke rings in the air contemplatively. "Yes…well it'll make things interesting again, that's for sure. Everyone's missed having a foreigner around. But I must say…this one isn't quite like our last visitor is she?"

Peter glowered, looking clearly offended. "Well of course not! How could anyone be as wonderful as my Alice?!"

The incubus remained lazily suspended on his back in midair, blowing different sized rings and watching them fade into the blackness surrounding them, "Hmm…I suppose they're all just as special in their uniqueness as much as anything else, but you do realize what this means, don't you Peter? Marina's arrival…"

A shadow seemed to fall over the white rabbit's spectacled eyes as his stare became forlorn and distant. "Yes…it seems our love was doomed to fail. For Alice found love with another male…." Nightmare felt true pity seeing the feared rabbit of Wonderland looking so crushed. But time went on for them, as it always did. That was how it worked, here, in Wonderland.

"Speaking of Marina, do you think you'll be able to put your past feelings for her mother aside? Will you fall for her too?"

Peter slowly raised his head, darkness still clouding his eyes, but his weak smile held a wry sort of twist. "Perhaps in time…my failed love for Alice won't cause such dismay. I suppose it may happen, some distant day."

"Ah. But you know how the game works. She's a foreigner, and she's taken Alice's place. We'll all love her the same way we loved Alice before her. It's destined to happen, whether we fight it or not." Another noncommittal puff on the pipe had smoke floating from Nightmare's lips in the shape of a heart. It trailed for a distance before splitting in half and vanishing right before Peter's red eyes.

"Yes, I know the rules of the game…" he whispered, his crimson eyes practically gleaming with sadness, "But I can't help but still love _her _all the same…"

* * *

"H-hello? Anyone? Please! Hellooo?" Marina searched frantically for someone to guide her back to a familiar path, or anything that might be useful in this situation. It hadn't even been an hour into their journey when she began to notice something very suspicious about her guide…

For someone supposedly acquainted with the environment on such an intimate level he seemed disconcertingly oblivious to where they were or even where their destination was.

Even she began to see an air of similarity in all their previous steps. Like going around in a maze… When she'd politely questioned whether they were still on the right path, he'd reassuringly told her the trail through the woods they were on was the quickest shortcut.

But after the sunny day became a muggy evening she wasn't so sure anymore. To make matters worse, Ace's hand had somehow slipped from hers and she now appeared to be completely alone. Her breath hitched as she heard rustling and what sounded like the cry of some distant but fierce animal.

What was she supposed to do in situations like this? She hadn't even been able to sleep alone until she was nearly twelve for Christ's sake! Victoria was always there to chase away her nightmares and sing her to sleep with her soothing lullabies.

Marina continued to pick her way through the brush, calling out for Ace as she went and hoping to see a flash of red. The only noises that echoed her were those of the wind rustling the treetops and more animal cries. '_Ok, this is beginning to get scary very fast._' she decided after passing what she was sure was the same pebble for the seventh time.

She sucked in a breath of air to call out again when she felt something frighteningly cold and sharp pressing against her exposed neck. "Hey, look brother, we caught a stranger!" she heard a surprisingly young voice exclaim.

"Yeah I can see that, brother, duh! Anyway, boss'll be glad we finally did our job." An equally youthful voice replied close to her left ear. Marina bit back a squeal. She was surrounded! There were two of them, one on each side and they had weapons!

"And it was getting_ soo_ boring just waiting for that chicken rabbit to come around anyway."

"So should we just kill 'em or give 'em a chance to explain why she's in our territory?" Cold sweat started to trickle down the side of her neck and blood rushed through her ears as she heard this_ boy_ not much younger than her talking about killing her so casually.

"Eh, we should prolly just kill 'er…I mean, doesn't matter now, right?"

His brother shrugged nonchalantly, "Guess so." The other boy replied coolly, as if ending another human being's life didn't mean more than deciding to play a game.

Marina swore in that moment her heart had stopped entirely as her hands remained clenched tight at her sides. She tried to swallow only for the lump to lodge itself in her throat, seemingly cutting off all air. '_How can this be? Is this what the Queen and Mr. Peter were trying to warn me about when they said the others were mad?'_

"So, what toy do you wanna use?"

"I wanna cut the lady into little bitty bits~!" There was a sound like something metal being pulled from its scabbard and then she could make out a long, cruelly curved knife being waved around in front of her widened eyes. She felt like she was going to be sick.

'_Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! I'm going to die, just like that!' _She fought to keep her legs from giving out as cold terror sunk into her bones. '_This is it then_,' Marina closed her eyes tightly and quickly said a silent prayer that her soul would find peace and that her family would move on, no matter how painful it was to never see them again.

Right as the knife pressed into her skin, something sailed through the air nearby, only to be met with a resounding clang as metal struck metal. One of the bodies standing close to her shifted further away as he was forced to take up a defensive position and use his weapon to parry the attacker's. "Sorry boys, but I'm afraid you'll have to find a new play date. Marina's _**mine**_ for today." Marina's eyes flew open with recognition at the jovial laugh.

"A-Ace!" she cried, as the knight stood before her in all his care-free glory.

He greeted her with a sunny smile and a wink, "Miss me?" She was equal parts frustrated he had left to begin with, and equal parts relieved he had shown up in the nick of time to keep her head from being severed from her body.

"I...you...I was a-almost maimed!" she squealed indignantly in a rare show of anger. Her mother always told her if she was like anyone in the family, it was her aunt Lorina. Though for some reason when she said this, Alice always looked a little sad.

Marina rarely became upset and people would gush abot how gentle and sweet she was. But at the moment she decided she had every right to be mad. Ace abandoned her and she almost got her head cut off by kid psychopaths as a result!

"Aw, that stupid knight got in the way brother!"

"Boo! Let's show him what happens when he messes up our fun!"

"Yeah!" Marina's eyes widened, all traces of animosity (temporary as it my have been) at her literal knight in shining armor-or red trenchcoat- gone. She stumbled behind Ace as he held his sword out confidently, ready for his enemies to make a move. The two boys, wearing identical smirks and holding wickedly sharp long axes, stepped forward.

"What the hell are you little spits up to now?!"

Marina cowered at the thundering voice as another man appeared, looking none too pleased. _'A-another...one. Is he...on t-their side?'_ she wondered, swallowing nervously.

"Stay outta this chicky rabbit!"

"Yeah, go suck a rotten Easter egg!"

"What the hell did you say?!" The man, tall and broad-shouldered, with wavy blond and orange tinted hair that fell to his shoulders and shaggy _rabbit ears_ sprouting out of his head, snarled menacingly at the boys she had assumed to be his allies, whipping out a pistol unabashedly.

"Enough. Elliot, boys, stand down. Knight...this is our territory. Wondering here is a forfeit of your life." a new voice interrupted. Marina felt an involuntarily shudder crawl up her spine. It was probably the most sensual voice she'd ever heard, and it made her stomach flip in spirals.

A man in a crisp white suit and black hat, holding a cane appeared beside the blond bunny man and her heart seemed to start trying to escape her chest. He was...beautiful.

Long, midnight black hair that fell just past his shoulders and alluring eyes. He seemed to be staring right through her as he took her in, hiding behind Ace with both hands clasped tightly in front of her chest and her blue eyes wide with a mix of terror and awe.

"Hm? And who's this? Surey not a new Roleholder..." he stepped closer, and Marina felt her mind screaming at her to run. He looked like a gentleman, but his aura was...heavy, almost suffocating. It scared her. Her eyes closed on their own and her mind seemed to shut down. _'No...no! No! No!'_

**_"It's alright Marina."_**

_'W-who-?!'_

**_"Just trust me. No one's going to hurt you here. You're special."_**

_'S-special...?'_

"Ah, I see. So the young lady truly is...how unprecedented." Marina blinked back into focus only to see the dark, mysterious man was very close. _Examining_ her, stroking strands of her hair and twirling it around his gloved fingers. She swallowed at the smouldering stare he was giving her.

_'Why is...he doing this? I don't even know his name!'_

"Do you...know her Blood?" the blond bunny man asked curiously as he stepped closer as well. The look of venom that had glimmered in his purple eyes mere moments earlier was gone, leaving him to look like an innocent and inquisitive schoolboy.

"Come now Elliot. _Surely_, this isn't the first time you've seen this face." The one known as "Blood" smiled, never looking away from her.

In a gesture that was cuter than Marina wanted to admit, the man called Elliot tilted his head in thought, and rubbed at his chin, one ear flopping down while the other cocked straight up.

_'S-so cute...'_ she couldn't help but sigh inwardly, even if she was still too scared to say anything aloud.

"Now that you mention it...I guess she _does_ look familiar. I mean, she's got a face, sooo-"

"She looks just like Big Sis!" one of the twin boys suddenly exclaimed.

Causing everyone to stare at her in shock. Blood seemed pleased to watch the color rising to her cheeks as the others clambered around her, while Marina looked to Ace for help. But the strange knight only grinned at her dopily, proving he would be no help to her at the moment.

"Yup. This is Alice's daughter, Marina Liddell~" Ace smiled merrily, Marina wanting to smack him at the moment.

_'I've never been this violent. But everyone here seems so hostile... This place must be getting to me!'_

The two younger boys eyes were sparkling now as they began to talk excitedly at once so she couldn't make out their words. The man with the rabbit ears named Elliot looked like his jaw had hit the ground and Blood stared at her thoughtfully.

"N-no way! Y-you're Alice's...but it's..."

"Big sis gave us a little sis!"

"Yay~! This is gonna be awesome!"

"Hmm. I always knew the young lady wasn't as innocent as she appeared." Marina's head snapped up at the last comment to stare straight into the taunting dark blue eyes of the black-haired mafiaso.

"W-what?" she asked lowly.

"She always acted so self-conscious and polite, but really, she _seduced_ men left and right during her time here. It's no surprise she had a child after only being gone for a year-"

_SMACK!_

Everyone stared wide-eyed. Marina looked down at her trembling hand, then at the bright red handprint on the man's handsome face. She would've_ never_ thought she'd hit someone before, a perfect stranger no less. But what he'd said about her mother was...repulsive. How dare this man taint her character! Her mother was probably the most virtuous person she knew and always made it a point to let her know right from wrong.

"You don't know anything about my mother's virtues! So don't act like you do!" Marina screamed, despite the fear quicky seizing her heart. This man was dangerous. She could tell. Before she knew it, he had an iron grip on her wrist, applying painful force as he leered at her murderously.

"Young lady..." his voice was dangerously low. "You should think more carefully about your actions. In this world...you could be killed on a whim. And Outsider or not, I will not tolerate disrespect."

"A-agh!" Marina struggled, flailing to pry herself away.

"Blood!" Elliot gasped. His ears twitched rapidly as he felt torn between his loyalty to his boss and long-time friend and the girl who was the daughter of the Outsider he had missed and adored. She shouldn't have hit Blood, but she was still breakable!

"Boss!" the twins cried helplessly.

"Let her go, Hatter!" Ace began to withdraw his sword, causing the Hatter family to react on instinct. Blood eyed them coolly before releasing Marina suddenly and throwing her arm away from him, sending the girl crashing to the ground in a heap.

"Ungh!" She sat up slowly, clutching her wrist with teary eyes.

Blood eyed her coldly, turning suddnely and strutting back through his mansion's gates. Elliot cast his boss a quick glance before looking down at the girl who was clearly shaken. Slowly, he knelt in front of her and took her wrist so gently it surprised even him.

"Ergh...s-sorry about that!" he cringed at the red and blue bruising on the thin wrist. "Blood is...well, he hasn't had his afternoon tea yet, so he's still cranky. But he's a really super guy when ya get to know him better."

Marina looked up into the face of the rabbit eared Elliot to see he was studying her sheepishly. She sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of one hand before letting out a weak chuckle. "I'm so sure..." she said softly.

She looked over her shoulder to see the twins quietly watching her, just a little concern flashing through their eyes. Something told her that all of these guys were being seriously out of character. For her.

It was...sort of nice, despite what she'd just been through.

"The Hatter's bad news." Ace added, surprisingly solemn for once. "Don't let his lackeys try to butter you up. He's a ruthless guy, and getting close to him will only get you hurt again."

Elliot bristled at this, not liking the disrespect the dumbass, directionally challenged knight was showing his boss, a guy he idolized. "What the hell do you know, jackass?!"

"Enough to say she'd be way safer at the castle than around _your_ boss!" Ace retorted angrily.

"Like you can talk! That damn Peter White lives at the castle, and he's a fucking molester last time I checked. And your crazy Queen decapitates people left and right!"

"Is the mafia any better, looking for excuses to draw their guns?"

_'M-Mafia!' _Marina could swear her heart stopped. That guy...oh God! _'H-he was in the Mafia...w-wait, didn't they call him boss...?'_ Marina's face completely lost its color as she realized just what she'd done. _'I struck out at the head of the mafia! He's going to slaughter me the next time he sees me...'_

The sounds of the arguement began to grow far away, until it sounded like she was listening from underwater.

_'This is...insane.' _Marina's subconscious whispered.

**_"Yes, but in time...it'll be_ familiar." **The girl turned remembering the voice.

She gasped at the sight of the man smiling mysteriously at her. _'You...you're the voice I heard.' _

She couldn't help but stare in wonder. He, like everyone else she'd encountered thus far, was very attractive. His silver hair fell to his shoulders, and he wore an eye patch over one eye. He looked very distinguished, floating there in midair. Wait, _floating_?!

_**"Yes, but I'm also known as Nightmare. I'm the personification of bad dreams. I have the power to enter dreams at will. This will be the first time we've met face to face. Welcome to Wonderland, Marina."**_

_'H-how do you know my name...and where is-'_

**_"We're in a dream. Your dream, to be more exact."_**

_'But I don't remember falling asleep!'_

**_"You fainted from mental exhaustion."_** The man explained calmly. **_"I wanted to explain a few things to you though. Look in your pocket."_**

_'My pocket...? There's nothing the-'_ Marina gasped, pulling out a smile vial identical to the one Peter White had made her drink from. It was translucent, only a small amount of liquid in the bottom. _'What is...this?'_ She swished the liquid around curiously.

_**"It's called the Medicine of Heart. If you want to get home, you have to play the game, and fill that vial. But don't worry, just keep interacting with the other inhabitants of this world, and the vial will fill in no time..."**_ He patted her head kindly. Marina stared at the vial in deep concentration.

She didn't notice the way Nightmare's eyes became sharp and distant. _**'The question is...will you want to when the time comes...or will you be trapped in the spell of Wonderland...'**_

* * *

**I decided to stop it here so I could get this chapter out, the quotes at the end of the first chapter will be used later. And we'll be able to see wha Marina does with the recollection of being trapped in Wonderland when she wakes up. How 'bout some reviews in the meantime~**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm sorry it took me a few months to update this…but I'm in college so between that and working and such, I rarely have the kind of free-time I want to, to update regularly. Hopefully there will be more reviews this chapter…Please?**

**Peter may seem unusually quiet and serious in this chapter, but that is because he's sulking…lol he will be back to his normal obnoxiously overbearing self soon. ;D Julius popped up unexpectedly. I honestly hadn't planned to add him yet, but I was reading one of the spin-offs of the original manga series called "The Clockmaker's Story" and it was so *squee* that I just had to show Julius some lovin'~ ;D So he appears whether he wants to or not. XD You guys who are Julius fans should check it out if you haven't already. The artist who helped Quinrose illustrate this particular one-shot story did the best job out of all the other artists who illustrate her other one shots.**

** Also, I agree that Alice in the main manga is very hard to like and really wears on you, but the Alice portrayed in most of the spin-offs I find is generally much softer and just more suited to be the heroine of a harem. She's the perfect balance of vulnerable, sweet and spunky, and I guess if I had to attribute her change in character to anything, it's that the plot has less time to develop in the shorter books, so she has to be more open to romance for it to work, thus resulting in her personality getting a bit of an overhaul. Anyway, those are just MY personal ramblings/musings. Carry on, please!**

**Oh, and two not necessarily important things you will notice about Marina: she tends to throw some English dialect into her speech on occasion, and she calls most of the Roleholders by slightly formal name i.e. using their titles/professions. This is just a nod to the fact that she was raised to respect nobility and thus feels it is impolite to address them any other way.**

* * *

_"Look mummy, look! I'm a bunny, see~? Hop! Hop! Hop!" a small Marina giggled, eagerly splashing through the shallow puddles that riddled the grounds of the estate in her shiny pink rain boots. In her rabbit-eared raincoat, she looked like any bright and happy child, innocently playing in the rain. Her mother and siblings walked several feet behind, her sister and brother huddled under a lime green umbrella, while Alice held a larger navy blue one._

_"Yes, you are. A very pretty little bunny. Now come here, you wouldn't want to slip and fall, would you?" Marina eagerly turned to run to her mother, who crouched and held out an arm patiently. Several meters before reaching her mother, she stumbled forward, but instead of hitting the wet cobblestone, she felt warm as she was hoisted up. _

_"Oh!" she gasped, her startled cerulean eyes locked with the golden gaze of a familiar face. _

_"Careful, Marina. I know you love rain, but wet puddles can be dangerous. Try not to worry your mother so much." he patted her head gently._

_"Okay!" she beamed._

"...Ina...rina...Lady Marina! Please, wake up, the queen is calling you!"

"...Ungh?" Sparkling cerulean eyes slowly blinked open as Marina stared into the face of a faceless. Strange as it was. She looked familiar to her somehow, and the girl was able to recognize it was the same maid that had first escorted her.

"Oh hullo..." she yawned, stretching her stiff back, "Is it morning already?"

"Hm?" the maid's head tilted, and Marina was sure if she had eyes she would blink them. "It's still night period, but never mind that, you mustn't keep the Queen waiting!" she glanced around, appearing anxious.

The startled girl found herself hastily being pulled from the large mattress as the faceless woman handed her a folded garment and ushered her to the bathroom. "Please meet me outside after you're finished so that I may escort you to the throne room."

Marina thought of the maid's behavior as she stepped into the lavish bathroom and stripped off the cream nightgown they had allowed her to borrow, _'At home, the queen is a big deal...it's strange that Vivaldi doesn't have control of all of Wonderland...but she's obviously still important...' _She smiled when she noticed the maid had apparently already drawn her water, filled with bath oils and crushed rose petals. She slipped in and almost moaned as the water held her in its embrace.

Bath times were always a source of comfort for stress at home, _'But I can't afford to lounge.' _ Reluctantly, Marina remained in the bath for a sparse ten minutes before carefully climbing over the wide edge and wrapping herself in a clean towel hanging nearby.

She thought of the strange man she'd met in her dream—Nightmare—and of the fact that she'd made a deadly enemy in the mafia boss, Blood. Though as stupid as it may have been, she didn't feel quite sorry for slapping him.

What gave him the right to imply such tasteless things about her mother, anyway? How did he even _know _her? How did anyone here know Alice? Why was everyone seemingly obsessed with the fact that she was her mother's daughter anyway? '_Maybe Vivaldi will tell me,_'

Marina stood to give herself a once over, tugging her hair back into her usual neat pigtails. "There!" she hummed, twirling in the fancy red dress they'd given her. It fit comfortably, and accentuated her teenaged curves in a way her normally loose dresses didn't.

The hem line was decorated in a series of patterns that she recognized from playing cards—clubs, spades, diamonds, aces and hearts. And the sleeves and collar were trimmed in black lace. She decided to keep on the same laced boots she had been wearing the day before, and by the time she'd finished lacing them, there was a knock on the door. "Lady Marina? Are you finished?" the maid's muffled voice called.

"Oh, I'm coming," the blond-haired girl scurried to the door, opening it with a small, apologetic smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting,"

"Oh, no! It's not_ me_ you've keep waiting! But I'm afraid we really must hurry, Queen Vivaldi really isn't in the most patient of moods now." She said anxiously, taking Marina by the wrist and pulling her all the way to Vivaldi's throne room.

The woman knocked, timidly, before poking her head through the door. Marina gasped, frightened as the poor woman narrowly missed being grazed by a bullet that hit the thick wood instead. She ducked away from the door, obviously shaken, and Marina was sure that there were invisible tears welling in the corners of her invisible eyes. "A-after you, p-please…" she grinned shakily, gesturing for the Outsider to enter in one majestic sweep of her arm.

Biting her lip, the blonde girl gave her an uncertain glance, but the maid bobbed her head frantically as if telling her to hurry. Unsure, Marina took one hesitant step forward, and then another, cringing as she heard the heavy doors swing shut again. There, in the room, were Peter and Vivaldi, waiting impatiently.

Though Vivaldi's face was a mask of apathy, Peter's shadowed expression softened ever so slightly to one of concern the moment Marina caught their eyes. Not knowing what else she should do, she stopped in the middle of the grand room, looking up at Vivaldi on her thrown and gripping the ends of her dress.

If it hadn't been obvious before, the regal air of authority was certainly present now. Vivaldi was exactly how Marina had always imagined the young Victorian queens she'd read about to be. Dignified, graceful, and beautiful. Mustering up every ounce of nerve, Marina dipped into the politest curtsy possible, keeping her head lowered accordingly. "Your Majesty…" she greeted.

"Rise child," Vivaldi said quickly, "You are not one of our subjects, so you need not bow before us."

Startled, Marina quickly righted herself on command. "I apologize…" she mumbled.

Vivaldi's look eased into something less severe, "No need. I have called you here because I have heard you encountered Blood Dupre, leader of the Hatter family?"

Swallowing, Marina nodded, wide-eyed. "Y-yes…I…I didn't _want_ to cause trouble between the Hatter's and Heart Castle!" she was quick to add, raising her hands in innocence. "I…I wouldn't have slapped him had he not insulted my mother…!"

Vivaldi's mouth quickly snapped shut then opened slowly. "You, slapped him…?" she asked incredulously.

The foreigner nodded in shame. "I understand it was wrong…if it causes a problem with me staying here, I'll leave immed—"

"Hohohoho…!" Marina gaped as the queen covered her mouth in a vain attempt to muffle the deep laughter coming out of her throat. It was clear she found it highly amusing by the rosy state her cheeks had taken on. "Hohoho…w-we…" she gasped between breaths, "…would have liked…to see the l-look on his face! Surely, the stunned expression was quite comical, yes?"

Peter's eyes widened as he looked between Vivaldi having a giggling fit on the throne, to Marina shuffling nervously from foot to foot, blushing prettily. She caught his eyes and stared at him from under her thick lashes. He told himself it was simply reflex when he looked away, hiding a blush of his own.

He ignored his traitorous clock, which decided to tick faster for some strange reason. He could not—would not fall for Marina. His heart belonged now and forever to Alice…! Even if they now lived worlds apart, even if she had moved on and long since forgotten him, he would always hold the flame he carried that symbolized his undying love. The rules would not make him love Marina, no matter what Nightmare claimed.

"You're not mad?" the Outsider ventured cautiously.

Smiling, the queen wiped the last remaining tears from her eyes with a well manicured finger. "Of course not, silly girl!" she smiled warmly, "We are quite impressed…most maidens find his suave ways to be charming, or are too daunted to match his ego. You are quite brave to have stood your ground so well!"

Marina blushed, wanting to protest. It had been a mere reflex—and there was nothing _brave_ about angering such a dangerous man. "So of course, as a reward, you may remain in Heart Castle for as long as you like!" she added brightly. "In fact, we must insist."

Marina sweat dropped at Vivaldi's adamant expression. "O…kay…" she chuckled nervously. '_She _is_ still a queen…how am I supposed to refuse?!'_

Vivaldi nodded, looking pleased, "Very good. Now, on to the matter we_ truly_ summoned you for,"

Peter glanced up from his musings sharply and Marina studied the pair curiously. "You know about the territories here, in the Country of Hearts, correct?"

Marina nodded slowly, "The Castle, Hatter Mansion, the Amusement Park and Clock Tower, right?"

"You pay attention well." Vivaldi praised, "It is good to be in the company of someone who listens, at last," she cast a look to the side at Peter, who was polishing a large golden pocket watch with disinterest. Vivaldi shot him a glare before turning back to the blonde with a softer look. "Those territories are the ones here, in Heart Country…however, other countries exist in Wonderland. Other countries with different Roleholders and territories,"

Marina's eyes widened in interest. She hadn't thought of just how big a place Wonderland actually was. But it made sense for there to be more nations out there if this was Heart _Country_. Why name it that if there weren't more countries nearby?

"So they're all important to Wonderland? These…other Roleholders, I mean?"

"Indeed," said Vivaldi, "We do not normally interact with them between moves though." She smiled gently when she noticed Marina's lost expression. "Please bear with us and we will explain all," She turned to Peter with a sharp frown. "White! Stop this sulking and fetch us the atlas!" Peter's ears slowly righted themselves as he lifted his head; his hands paused with his handkerchief poised over the glass face of his watch.

He gave the queen a rather glum stare before leaving the throne room, mumbling softly. Marina watched curiously, surprised when the doors were thrown open and he returned, carrying a large, rolled piece of parchment. She was amazed as he carefully unfurled it and it covered the strip of red carpet leading to the throne.

"Oh my," she rubbed her chin in interest, kneeling down to examine the map of Wonderland.

"You see Marina, this is Wonderland in its entirety." Vivaldi explained. "Though it is shown here as a giant mass, the land is known to shift," Her blue eyes looked up from tracing a route marked across the borders of two territories, startled. "Shift…y-you don't mean earthquakes I should hope?"

Vivaldi waved a hand glibly, "Nothing of that sort…though I suppose to you it would be something of a phenomenon. Though here, it is quite normal and happens from time to time. A natural occurrence. Everyone in Wonderland is quite used to it. We wished to inform you, though, as it is almost time for the land to move. And we did not want you to be alarmed when it occurred."

Marina smiled weakly, not fully sure she understood. "Oh, that was kind of you then." She glanced back to the map and noticed that Heart Country as well as several others were clearly labeled along with the prominent territories being marked. It looked just like old maps she had seen in her father's studies.

"But there is more," Vivaldi continued, placing her elegant chin into one hand, elbow resting on the edge of the throne, "When the land moves, some people are thrown out, while others stay…if you remain in our territory, you will move along with those in Heart Castle. The other territories may remain here, and be replaced with those of the new territory of the land of Clover."

"Clover? Is that the country that the territories will be moved to?"

"It's not us that will move, just the land itself," Peter White mumbled quietly. Marina was startled. He hadn't spoken to her sicne she'd arrived and she had guessed that maybe he was upset with her, though that would be strange—_he_ had kidnapped _her_, so she should be the one to be angry with him if anything.

"Oh…" Marina blinked, feeling awkward. This was such a strange conversation, and she was having trouble following. Her intelligence had always been described as average, at best. She excelled where she applied herself, but was not necessarily gifted with natural intelligence like that of her brother, Leopold.

"The land underneath the territories will shift…and some will still be 'here'" Marina pointed to Heart Country on the map. "While others will end up on the land of Clover?"

She wasn't sure, but she thought Peter gave her a small smile when she looked to him for clarification. "Essentially," he adjusted his glasses. "It takes the land a while to regulate itself afterwards, so it is quite easy to get lost if you are unfamiliar with the new landmarks. I advise not leaving the castle until the land finishes adjusting."

"But—but I haven't finished exploring," Marina pouted despite herself. "I know I got into trouble at the Hatter's but I promise I won't go near there again…I just got a little side-tracked was all." She ignored Peter's quiet scoff. '_Though it was really more of Ace who got us lost as I was only following him…' _"Ace!" she suddenly yelled, looking around frantically and noticing the grinning knight was nowhere to be seen.

Vivaldi and Peter exchanged curious looks. "What is wrong, Marina?" the queen questioned.

"S-sir Ace, he made it out of there well enough, didn't he?" Her eyes glistened wetly and her throat constricted. Ace had been fighting them off with a sword, but those men had _guns_. How was he supposed to stand up to those?

Vivaldi closed her eyes with a sigh and Peter crossed his arms, looking agitated. "That stupid knight is just fine. He came back perfectly uninjured," Peter informed her.

Marina pressed a hand to her thumping heart with a shaky sigh of relief.

"Though he left for town before we summoned you, we would not be surprised if it takes him four time changes before he stumbles back…" Vivaldi added, sounding tired.

Marina giggled into her hand. At least he was alright. "Please continue explaining this land thing to me?" she nodded at them both politely.

Peter cleared his throat, ignoring the twinge at seeing the pleasant smile she wore. If he closed his eyes, he could almost pretend it was his Alice smiling at him like she hardly ever did. They had nearly identical faces, after all, and he would much rather fantasize about the sweet smiles his lost love never gave him, than the sour scowls he received instead. "Even if you don't go near the Hatter's mansion, the Amusement Park is also a territory we are currently at war with." He explained primly. "Therefore, it is just as dangerous and just as possible for you to be caught in the crossfire,"

Marina had to admit, her eagerness waned at the thought of meeting more trigger-happy people like the Hatter family. "T-the Clock Tower…?" she tried uncertainly.

It wouldn't hurt to become as familiar with the Roleholders as she could during her stay. And Nightmare had said the only way to win the game was to keep interacting with everyone. If she didn't _try_, she might as well kiss her ticket home goodbye.

Peter shrugged, "Its run by a grumpy clockmaker who rarely leaves his home. He is taciturn, abrasive and is as boring as his work."

"Surely he isn't _all _bad though. You said his is the only neutral territory here, right? That means he doesn't participate in all the fighting, so I should be ok just going to visit…" Peter couldn't deny she definitely had a way with logic, and the pleadingly pitiful stare she gave him was hardly helping him to remain firm in his decision.

"You may go," Marina's face lit up and Peter's dropped. Vivaldi watched him smugly. "But White will be escorting you," Peter's sulking face turned to one of annoyance. The last place he wanted to go was the dreary Clock Tower, home to the even drearier Clockmaker. But Marina was already so excited, and she still didn't know the area enough to travel alone…so he supposed he had no choice. '_Alice, my love, I'll do this for you. For though you're now gone, I will always be true.' _

"Thank you, Queen Vivaldi!" the girl gushed, curtsying repeatedly.

Vivaldi smiled. "White, have her back no later than two time changes from now!" she barked at the rabbit. "There is still the matter of preparing for the banquet…" The older woman turned to Marina, playing with her fuchsia curls. "We will dress hunt when you return~!"

Marina laughed uneasily. Vivaldi's eyes had suddenly looked manic as she said the words "dress hunt".

"Now go, White! And remember the consequences of being tardy!"

Peter harrumphed, taking the girl by the arm and leading her away. "Come Marina, the path is this way…stay near the queen and she'll nag you all day,"

Marina followed obediently, only turning around once when she heard Vivaldi's shout of protest and threat to Peter's life.

* * *

The cluttered room of the clock tower was quiet, as it always was. As it had been since Alice's departure. Without her to insist that he take breaks, Julius threw himself back into his work with new gusto. Repairing clocks for hours until his fingers became stiff, only stopping for short amounts of sleep or to make coffee. He was back to his normal workaholic self.

Nothing had changed. It was like she had never been there…the only difference was the slight, nearly imperceptible air of loneliness that loomed in the atmosphere. He supposed to others, they would think that spending his days endlessly working, high up in the spires of the tower, was a constantly lonely thing.

But in truth, it had never bothered him. He'd had his work, he fulfilled his duty, and that was all he needed. It wasn't until she first appeared that he noticed himself suddenly…unsatisfied with carrying on his day per quo. It wasn't such a drastic change from his normal stoic self.

But he found that he didn't mind the quiet company of her presence as she putted around making coffee and trying to organize the mountains of random paperwork he had neglected for so long. She would even help him to sort and categorize his work tools and spare parts, whether he wanted her to or not.

She told him once that she was almost compelled to be useful. If she wasn't doing something, her mind wandered to dark places she didn't want to visit. So he let her make him coffee, and run small errands, and even found himself vaguely amused when she scolded him for working through meals or putting off sleep.

Then one day she was gone, like a whisper on the wind. And no one in Wonderland seemed to be able to find her. Even the residents of Clover didn't know where she'd gone. Nightmare finally confirmed she'd returned to her world after all—the day they'd all been dreading, whether admittedly or not…

And so Julius had continued his work with a slight reluctance that hadn't been there before. He told himself it would pass. Time would go on for them, as it always did. And he would forget. But the emptiness left in her absence didn't really ever completely leave the Clock Tower. It just got a little easier to ignore day by day.

He had just set down the clock he was working on, to rest his eyes when there was a knock at his door. He glanced back sharply, trying to hide his alarm. No one ever visited anymore. And he doubted it was Ace. The boisterous knight usually barged right in with no consideration to knocking. Not to mention, he hadn't sent Ace out on assignment as of late. Julius slowly rose from his chair.

There was another knock, slightly louder than the last. His hand clutched the wrench he kept strapped at his waist, ready to transform it into a weapon at a moment's notice. He heard quiet murmuring as he approached the door, and was bewildered to hear that one voice sounded like Peter White.

_'There's no duel scheduled, is there?'_ Julius thought, wracking his brain for the reason the crazy white rabbit could be at his door.

White was muttering complaints, loud enough to understand. But even stranger was the softer voice that answered him, feminine and unfamiliar. The Clockmaker cautiously opened the door, nearly dropping his wrench and his composure the minute he saw who was on the other side.

Peter White was indeed leaned against the wall, looking irritable. The other voice belonged to a woman—or teenage girl—as he had guessed, one grinning brightly at him with large blue eyes and holding out a basket in a form of peace offering.

"Hello!"

Julius raised an eyebrow suspiciously. He wouldn't show it, but all the alarms in his head were ringing loudly. This girl had a face. She wasn't a Faceless. And he would know if there was a new Roleholder, because he would have been the one to fix the clock. More importantly, she had a _familiar_ face.

"Alice…?" he asked carefully.

The girl shook her head slightly, blinking, "I never realized how much I resembled my mother until I came here," she said to herself.

Julius' didn't even bother to hide his shocked expression at her words. He took in the girl's appearance and decided several things. She was indeed _not_ Alice.

She had a face, and was a foreigner. That face looked like Alice's face in a way that made him believe somewhere in his completely blown mind that this girl was, in fact, a blood relative. He was just working on comprehending that she was…her _daughter. _

It had only been over a year give or take since they'd last seen the Outsider, but obviously, much more time had passed in Alice's home-world for her to have a daughter who was around the same age she had been upon first arriving in Wonderland.

He pressed his fingers to his eyes and gently massaged his closed lids, the other hand gripping the doorframe tightly. This was too much.

"Ah, are you alright sir?" the girl asked in her unusual accent. He cracked one dark blue eye open to look at her and see that she was staring up at him with obvious worry, the basket now lowered and held at her side.

"I told you coming would be a waste of time." he heard Peter saying, "The Clockmaker doesn't entertain."

"What…" Julius started, "What's going on? Who are you?" he fixed the girl with a stern look. She glanced off to the side timidly, biting her lower lip.

"Well, could we come in first? I bought these snacks from the pastry shop on the way here…they're probably better if they're still warm," she coaxed, already trying to find a way to squeeze around Julius' tall frame.

She was rather dainty, so muscling past him with brute strength wasn't exactly an option for her. Julius mentally weighed his options, shooting the rabbit one more grudging look before doing what he never thought he would—willingly allowing an enemy to walk right into his domain. A sure sign that things were about to be turned precariously upside down, very soon, in the Clockmaker's world.

* * *

**So, was that good enough to make up for such a long absence at least? Hm…probably not…but I'd be much more inspired to update more often if possible if I received more reviews. ;P I think that's a pretty fair trade-off. Lots more laughs and drama going on in Wonderland. Marina's adventure is only just beginning after all. Is she going to stay, or will she follow in her mother's footsteps and leave…? We'll have to wait and see~ And as some of you seem to have guessed, she probably won't get with Blood. In fact, a lot of you have kind of come to your own conclusions that they will not get along for some reason or another—most of you seem to believe it would be a hang-up on some part since Marina **_**is**_** Alice's daughter (more on this enigmatic father figure later lol).**

**Well, again, only time will tell. But I admit I'm hesitant to make Blood a serious romantic choice for several reasons… The first being that, like you all have hinted, there was some kind of strange chemistry between him and Alice, arguably, more chemistry with him alone than she shared with any of the other wonderful Wonderland men. And thus Blood has quite a few sour grapes at the fact that Alice not only left them, but moved on with her life and even had offspring.**

**It always kind of annoyed me how the manga is supposed to be modeled as a reverse harem, and yet, it's clear that the OTP/default pairing is BloodxAlice, and all because he share's the face of her former lover, whom she never got over! …Honestly! It's a complete waste (in my opinion) as she seems to pass over the other men without much thought in favor of Blood, no matter how vehemently she denies feeling any form of attraction to him. So yeah, it'd be kind of cliché if Marina fell for the same man as her mother (sort of) did. Not to mention redundant…like, what would the point of creating Marina be if I was just going to stick her with the first suave mafia boss with a pimp cane, in a top hat? XD I could've written about Alice if that was really my objective. But I didn't. And that was for a very specific reason~ the same reason why Marina's personality is notably different from her mom's (besides the fact that most people are NOT carbon copies of their parents anyway) X3 I'm not doing a poll for her final pick as of right now, as I would like to keep this an open harem for as long as possible (I hate when supposedly harem stories divert into a single pairing too soon), but you all are free to keep suggesting your favorites in the meantime. So keep those thoughts comin'! right now, candidates in the line-up are… Elliot, Julius, Gray, Nightmare, Peter (maybe?), Ace (?), Dee and Dum, Boris, and Pierce. I know a new game has been released in Japan… (Alice in the Country of Diamonds, I believe), but sadly, I'm not good enough in my Japanese yet to be playing the awesome otome imports out there, thus, I do not know enough about those game-exclusive characters to include them… :/ If anyone who has happened to have played the game knows anything they want to add just for the hell of it, I'd love to hear it. :D Doubt I'll be playing it anytime soon… T-T**

**I actually have a lot more side-notes and musings I want to add…but I think I've talked enough for one chapter…maybe next time. ^.^**


	4. Chapter 4

**Before the start of the next chapter, here is a short biography about my OC Marina. ^.^**

**Name:** Marina Harmony Liddell

**Appearance: **A girl with golden blond hair typically worn in long curled pigtails with red ribbons. Her eyes are an expressive blue, and it has been said that she greatly resembles her mother, Alice. Her outfit upon entering Wonderland was a red long-sleeved dress, trimmed with white lace and a pair of brown riding boots.

**Age: **16

**Temperament: **A mellow, curious girl. Because she lived a very sheltered life for much of her childhood, she can be gullible to a fault and known to take things too literally at times. Ultimately, she is an unassuming and helpful girl who tries her best to adjust to whatever challenges are thrown her way. Often told she takes after her aunt, Lorina. An aunt she has never met for some reason…

**Height: **5'4"

**Weight: **125lbs

**Background: **Marina was born and raised in Liverpool, England and is of mixed-descent. She is the daughter of a wealthy duke who made his fortune as a shipping magnet. Her mother manages a small library to keep herself busy. The middle child, she is used to being protected both by her family and their loyal staff. She seems to have an especially close past to a man she grew up with that her family employs.

**So Far…** _**After accidentally being taken from her estate in England by Peter White, the infamous white rabbit and Prime Minister, Marina Liddell finds herself caught right in the middle of the wacky and dangerous Wonderland. There, she encounters the rulers of the various territories and discovers that she must participate in a "game" in order to have the chance to return home. But along the way, she also discovers that the bedtime stories her mother told her were actually her adventures in Wonderland! Will discovering the truth be enough to send her home or will it just ensnare her further in Wonderland's mysterious spell?**_

* * *

Julius glanced at the young girl seated across the table from over the rim of his coffee mug, happily spreading jam on a roll she'd brought and babbling on without a care in the world. Chatty just like Alice but seemingly not as sharp-tongued. It was strange to see Alice's face with such a bubbly personality to accompany it.

And then there was the White Rabbit, holding his own cup and staring into it petulantly as he stood at her side like a watchdog. He'd refused to be seated, which was just as well, since Julius didn't make a habit of snacking with people who would just as soon draw a weapon on him.

He only allowed the girl to entice him into a "tea-break" to humor her, as she seemed to have inherited her mother's persistence. She was certainly an Outsider as she claimed to be. Something about those guileless blue eyes was unnerving though. She likely knew nothing of the inner workings behind this world she'd been thrust into…

The people at Heart Castle may have told her some things, but judging by how upbeat she currently was, it was highly improbable they'd told her everything. Alice had been positively mortified when she'd found out—perhaps that's what'd driven her to leave in the end.

Marina seemed less assertive and far less jaded than Alice, so no doubt she'd experience the same horror if she were ever to discover Wonderland's darkest secrets.

"…and so I was given quite the scolding for wandering off, and also for muddying my dress. …It was just as well, because I took sick less than a day later, falling into the pond in the middle of winter! My brother teased me endlessly, calling me a frog-face!" she giggled. Apparently she'd been speaking of some childhood memory while his attention was elsewhere.

"When will you return?" he asked stoically, sipping from his nearly cold coffee for the first time since she offered to make it.

There was an almost imperceptible twitch from him as he ended up taking a deeper gulp than expected. It was surprisingly…rich. Just the right blends of creamy and bitter…someone had taught her to prepare coffee rather well. Alice always accused him of making coffee that tasted like motor oil, not that he truly noticed.

Alice's coffee had been well brewed, and she always selected exactly the right brand from the market, but this was perfection. And she hadn't even known anything about how he took his coffee beforehand! It was impressive; the crabby Clockmaker had to admit.

She paused, her mouth stopping mid-sentence. "…Huh?" she gave a curious tilt of the head, then remembering her manners, she amended, "I…I mean beg pardon, sir?"

Julius sighed, removing his work glasses and rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "When are you leaving? To return to your world? By how fondly you speak of it it's obvious you miss it a great deal."

A sharp jolt of realization seemed to overcome her, and she set the mug she was holding down carefully. Peter eyed him sharply, and he could swear he saw a flash of grief in the PM's eyes. It couldn't be that he'd grown attached already, could it? So soon after declaring his undying devotion to Alice and swearing to never love again?

He was odd to comprehend, even among most of the country's wackiest residents though. Peter acted obsessive and hostile on the surface, and his moods switched constantly, but he was as deep an enigma as anyone.

"Well," she spoke softly. "I hadn't thought of it, per say. But I assume as soon as I finish this 'game' I'm supposed to be playing?" Marina fished in her dress pocket to procure a vial, which she held out to him in the palm of her hand innocently. "I'm told I have only to fill this to the brim, and then I will be granted the opportunity to return to my world." Julius's piercing azure eyes looked at the vial, a few centimeters of liquid sloshing at the bottom of it. His cold stare lifted to Marina's face and he saw the girl glancing around the room almost nervously. It was the first time she'd seemed unsure of herself since they had all but barged into his tower. "Um," she lifted a fist to cough lightly, "That is part of the reason why I wanted to meet you, M-Mr. Julius, sir. I've been told yours is the only neutral territory in Wonderland…so I, I just thought it would be nice to come and introduce myself…Peter was gracious enough to accompany me, so I wouldn't get lost." She laughed shortly then stopped, fumbling for words again. "I know it was quite rude of me to show up unannounced, but please, don't think poorly of my parents! They raised me with better manners, honestly! If…if you have to form a low opinion of anyone, it should be me. I was—" Marina trailed off as Julius rose; her eyes widening as he looked down on her with the same cold gaze then turned away just as quickly.

"We've met now. You've fulfilled your quest to visit the Clock Tower…now I suggest you go. This was a nice time, as far as unwarranted distractions go. But now it's time I get back to work." He glanced at her from over his broad shoulder, and Marina couldn't help but sit up straighter, hands falling into her lap. His head dipped as he nodded toward the exit. "I'm sure you're able to see yourselves out." Marina watched him return to his workshop again, the door closing heavily as his elegant form disappeared behind it.

"That bastard…he makes me so angry with his snappish ways." Peter grumbled, red eyes narrowed in Julius' direction.

Marina chuckled mirthlessly, rising and beginning to clear the things from the table. She had barged in, so the least she could do was tidy up before going. "I see what you mean now…about the Clockmaker not liking visitors. Still, we did show up without invitation, and I'm sure he's a very busy man, so the fault is truly mine, for having you bring me here." Marina emptied and rinsed the mugs before setting them to the side on the sink. "I'll leave the rest of the pastries…maybe he'll decide to eat them later as a snack." She had noticed while waiting for the coffee to brew that his kitchen was very sparse and utilitarian.

He didn't seem to keep much stocked in his cupboards, even for a shut-in. it worried her slightly, but if she stuck her nose in any further, she might get it hurt when Julius slammed the door in her face. Peter's eyes softened as he looked at Marina, so thoughtful and pure. He didn't want the others tainting that spirit. _He_ didn't want to accidentally taint it himself.

"Right," Peter nodded, offering her an arm, which she took. "Then let us go…I believe we were due back an hour ago."

Neither noticed Julius watching them from a small crack in the door the whole time. He shook his head when they left, sighing as he came out and looked at her handiwork. No. He couldn't let another one in. Not again.

Best to shut her out. Best for her to go back, before she got tangled too deep in Wonderland's web of insanity.

* * *

"Nightmare, where do you go when you aren't in my dreams?" she asked the pipe-smoking dream demon when she saw him again that night.

He chuckled, patting her head affectionately. "I'm working of course. You may not believe it, but I don't just harass pretty young women in their heads all night. I'm a very busy man."

Marina seemed to think on this, her large eyes slowly taking him into consideration. "Oh. Then when do you find time to visit me here? Is this part of what you do as your job?"

"Yes and no, it's both part of my role here in Wonderland, as well as a hobby of mine, so to speak. I have a rather…pesky assistant, who always hounds me in the waking world. Sometimes I escape here to dreams, to get away from it all."

Marina's head tipped down and she gave him a knowing smile. "So you're hiding in my dreams to get away from work then."

Nightmare's mouth fell open and he regarded her with mock hurt. "Why my dear Marina, how could you be so cold? I come here to keep you company in your dreams, because I want to know how you're doing. How your days here in Wonderland are going. We're friends, aren't we?" He gave her a wide-eyed pitiful look and she melted.

"Mm-hm." She nodded in consent almost immediately. "Of course we're friends. I actually don't mind you—eek!" Marina yelped in shock as two cold arms suddenly encircled her from behind and she felt a solid body pressing into hers. "N-Nightmare, what are you d-doing?!" she asked, her face beet red as she attempted to stop herself form hyperventilating.

"You said we were friends." He breathed into her ear, "Friends give each other hugs, don't they?"

Her brain seemed to be stopping and starting in spurts, like a sputtering engine. Marina managed a shaky nod, her heart hammering as she felt the arms around her waist tighten possessively. "Y-yes, friends hug, b-but…"

"Maybe you want to be more than friends then?" he nuzzled her cheek with cool lips. Marina tried to bite back the gasp as he placed a rather intimate kiss on her cheek. It definitely wasn't a light peck between friends, or a platonically warm kiss from family.

Marina's mind was floundering for a way out of this rather unsettling situation. "N-Nightmare honestly, I—"

The deep chuckle stopped her as she felt the arms gradually loosen, then fall from her body altogether. "Too cute," he muttered.

"Wha—" She gaped as the self-proclaimed living nightmare reappeared inches from her face. This time, she did squeal, falling back and landing solidly on her butt.

"I was only teasing Marina. I hadn't realized you were so easy to fluster. I apologize if I took my joking too far," he explained calmly, his hookah appearing from thin air again as he took a deep puff. For several long minutes, Marina couldn't muster a response. Her face was still terribly red in embarrassment and her mouth was heavy.

"T-That's…what a horribly cruel joke, Nightmare!" she scowled, or rather pouted heavily, her pretty blue eyes looking teary. Nightmare took another look smoke from the hookah and blew out several rings, sighing.

"I really am sorry, so don't give me that face. You'll forgive me, won't you?" Marina's teary gaze held defiance, and in that moment it was easy to see the fire so frequently seen in her mother.

"Only if you promise that's the last of 'jokes' like those." She huffed, crossing arms in front of her. She was obviously trying to look fierce, but still came across as adorably unsure.

Nightmare grinned widely, holding his arms out to his sides as he floated closer. "Of course, I would _never _do anything untoward to a young woman. I'm not the Hatter." he laughed, "You're far too trusting though. I guess I expected you to stop me the minute I touched you instead of freezing up. Alice would've hit me for sure; she was always so guarded." he stroked his chin thoughtfully, studying her through the eye not covered by the eye patch. "But you're not Alice, are you?"

Marina shook her head slowly, her eyes looking curious again. "I keep telling everyone that. My mother says I'm like my aunt. But I've never met her. I don't really know what she means, because when I ask, she just gives me a sad smile."

Nightmare nodded in understanding. "Children aren't always carbon copies of their parents, so it's understandable. Personally, I think it's more interesting that you are the way you are."

He watched the girl's nose scrunch charmingly, "Is that some sort of riddle?"

He shrugged lazily, "Not really, just an observation."

Pushing it aside, Marina frowned before saying, "That reminds me, how _does_ everyone here know my mother? She never spoke of any of you." Marina muttered. "Well, she would always tell me the oddest little bedtime stories…and sometimes she mentioned things sort of like there are here. But she never talked about mafias or violence and such nonsense. She mentioned that there was a white rabbit, and a queen…and a caterpillar that was always sick."

Nightmare's brow arched. "A caterpillar? Really Alice?"

"Did you say something?"

"Nothing, just thinking," he assured her. "That is quite the coincidence."

Marina made a noise of agreement. "And every so often she looked like she was reliving memories, but they were always just tales. My brother thought I was foolish for liking them so much…"

"There's nothing foolish about having an imagination." he told her, playing with the hookah between his fingers.

"I guess not," Marina perked up, "But now I'm starting to wonder if it was really more than a mere coincidence." Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Nightmare…did, did my mother come here before? As a girl? Did she meet you and the others?"

The dream demon once again smiled at her child-like innocence. "You ask a lot of questions, but I'm not so sure you're ready for all the answers." He leaned in closer, their nose almost touching. Marina looked frightened he would break his promise and do something again, but he only winked, his visible eye holding a conspiratorial gleam. "I think it's time for you to wake up. We'll talk more later."

Marina began to protest before he tapped her nose and the dream faded away. She woke up sprawled on the rumpled sheets of her bed in the castle, wearing the same nightgown she'd borrowed the first night she'd stayed there.

Her eyes stared at the high ceiling blearily, and she carefully rose into a sitting position. "Hm, what a night…" she mumbled with a small yawn. "I feel like I slept for ages that time."

Marina carefully stood and stretched, ignoring the nip of the cold floor against her bare feet. She sat up abruptly, this time remembering everything that had transpired in her dreams in a matter of seconds. '_Nightmare is helpful, but he also seems to be hiding some things from me. I'll have to question him more forcefully the next time we meet._' She decided this time she wouldn't wait for a maid to fetch her; she was more than capable of managing on her own after all.

In no time at all, Marina had bathed, found another wonderfully accented red and black dress, and done up her hair in her trademark pigtails. She sat in front of the vanity, taking her time to brush through her tussled locks, when there was a rabid knocking at her door. Almost before Marina could respond, the door swung open and she was startled to see Vivaldi's face peeking through.

"Y-Your Majesty!" she raised with a gasp, then fell to her knees in a full bow, unsure of how to proceed.

Vivaldi tutted disapprovingly and strode to the kneeling girl, lifting her chin with a slender finger. "Why do you insist on bowing to us? You are different than a normal subject; you will always be our most special guest at the castle. Rise, silly girl." Marina scuttled to her feet quickly, hoping she hadn't gotten a run in the new black stockings she wore.

"Sorry, I'm not used to being so casual to someone so important." Vivaldi gave her a dazzling smile and rubbed her cheek fondly.

"Such honesty," she hummed. "And innocence." She stepped back, taking Marina in. Marina studied her nervously in return, wondering just what the queen saw of her. She was cut from these thoughts by loud squealing. Marina nearly jumped out of her skin. Vivaldi stared at her adoringly. "If only we could keep you to ourselves, hidden away amongst the castle treasures…" she sighed forlornly. Marina blinked and the older woman sniffled dramatically.

"But that pesky White…he would become restless if you were kept away from him. So we will settle for what we can get. Today, we wish to go to town, and you will accompany us, yes?" Vivaldi's beautiful features looked almost sly as she leaned in and batted her eyes coquettishly.

* * *

Marina stared in awe as she followed Vivaldi and their escorts through town, marveling at how similar the shops were to some of the ones back home. Of course the most noticeable difference was the people, all without faces, but Marina was getting used to that surprisingly quickly. "You simply must see our favorite make-up store!" Vivaldi exclaimed, tugging Marina along excitedly. The foreigner followed obediently as Vivaldi pointed out a glamorous cosmetic store where make up kits were shown in the windows.

Marina stopped to stare in curiosity as Vivaldi perused the aisles. She'd never worn make-up…not even for special events. Her family insisted she didn't need it, but she had often fantasized about if it would make her feel more mature. She saw herself as baby-faced and dull…her older sister wore perfectly applied makeup and she was a sophisticated lady and the envy of all the girls in town. Just as she reached for a poppy red tube of lipstick Vivaldi appeared, studying her keenly. "Your skin is very supple and without fault. You do not need such things." Marina blinked, then pouted when she registered the queen's words.

'_Queen_ _Vivaldi too?_'

"Everyone at home says so…but I just wanted to try at least once." she explained meekly.

Vivaldi chuckled. "There is no rush to grow up, dear. Once you have started wearing it, it becomes quite habit forming. Wait until you are in dire need of it."

Slightly confused, the blonde relented, lowering her hand from the tube. "A-alright."

Vivaldi smiled in satisfaction before ushering her back out of the store, several small bags now in hand. "Now we are feeling puckish. Would you like to join us for brunch, Marina?" she asked gently. The teenager supposed she could go for a snack and opened her mouth to answer when a faceless attendant who had been off on an errand for the queen ran up to them, gasping. The procession of guards around Marina and Vivaldi stopped and Marina felt her mouth go numb as she noticed the faceless man was clutching his arm as it bled steadily. "The Hatter's men have been spotted." He informed them.

Vivaldi's face immediately tightened. "Where?"

"Outside the Main Street café…they're causing a pretty big ruckus and then just started shooting at random…I only got grazed luckily."

Marina ran to his side, placing a worried hand on his shoulder. She began fishing in her dress pocket for a handkerchief in an attempt to stymie the blood-flow. "They did this to you?" she whispered. "How terrible! You have to be treated right away." The messenger paused to look down at her, shaking his head slowly. If he had eyes she was sure they would be furrowed in confusion.

"That's unnecessary. This is but a flesh wound."

Marina's mouth fell open as she began arguing. "But you're—"

"Escort Marina back to the castle immediately." Vivaldi ordered another guard who nodded and began pulling her by the arm.

"But w-wait—" she turned to see the wounded messenger was now toting a pistol and rushing back the way he'd come, toward the conflict. She didn't understand. No one was trying to stop him, even though he was clearly hurt and rushing back into a gun-fight where he was sure to be injured again, or worse…she shuddered, thinking about it. Vivaldi's silhouette looking perfectly poised, but when she glimpsed back and they locked eyes, they had gone cold.

"This way, the queen wants you safe." The guard explained, leading her through a side alley. Marina followed hesitantly. To himself he murmured. "Outsiders truly _aren't _used to carnage."

Marina was too rattled to hear him, the only thing that drew her from her panicked thoughts was more gunshots. The guard tugged harder. "Quickly, we're almost _ARGH_!"

Marina screamed, watching the guard fall to the cold ground. Suddenly weak-kneed she attempted to back away from the limp body as blood continued to pool around it, but only managed to stumble into the wall and fall instead. She watched helplessly as two figures made their way down the alleyway, towering over her. Marina decided she didn't want to see her immenent death and bowed her head, hoping it would be quick.

"Hey, look at this!" a male voice exclaimed.

"Is that…Lil' Sis?"

"Sure looks like it! But what's she doin' in the middle a all this?"

Shocked, Marina's head snapped up as she stared at two unfamiliar men hovering over her. Neither one looked familiar yet they obviously seemed to know her.

"W-what do you want?" she whispered.

"Don't be like that, Lil' Sis! It's us, Dee n' Dum!" the man with the shorter hair explained. She studied them, wearing well-tailored suits and carrying large axes… Yes, they did bear a slight resemblance to the twin boys she'd seen at the Hatter's Mansion. But this couldn't be them. Those boys had been younger than her and these were grown men!

"Oooh, I think she's confused, Brother." Said the one with the ponytail.

"Hm, maybe we should shrink down." Blue eyes widened in disbelief as she watched the two men shrink until they were children before her very eyes.

"Ta-dah! Told ya it was jus' us!" they smiled, now only distinguishable by their different colored eyes.

Marina looked up at them, grinning shakily. The twins smiled back, expecting her to hop up in relief. They gaped as her blue eyes rolled back into her head, scrambling to catch her as she fell back in a cold faint.

For a while, the two boys just stared at her doll-like face. Awed by her soft features. "…Well what now, brother?"

"…I dunno brother…we can't leave her here and there's no way we're gonna give her back to that Castle."

"But do ya think Boss'd be nice to her if we brought 'er to the mansion?"

Dum looked deep in thought. "Uh, he might still be mad at Big Sis an' take it out on her…"

"So then," Dee sighed. "Only one place we can go."

Identical grins split their faces. "The Amusement Park!" they cheered.

"Boris'd love to meet Lil' Sis!"

"An' we can take her on the scary rides~!"

Happy with themselves, they morphed back into adult form, where Dee easily lifted her up. Following his brother, Dum quickly dashed after him as they made their escape. By the time the fighting stopped and anyone came looking for them, they'd be long gone with Marina.

* * *

**Yay~ another chapter. Writing this story doesn't require a whole lot of heavy thinking like a lot of my other stories do. There's not a lot of angst and drama (although I may throw in a smidgeon later) that requires me to dredge up my deep, emotional feels in order to get a chapter done. I consider this a light and enjoyable break in comparison, and I hope you guys have equal fun reading it. I'm trying to flesh Marina out as a character as much as possible. I hope everyone likes her. Someone asked if Alice will reappear, and the answer is nope! Not as a main character at least. She will probably be mentioned throughout the story and in Marina's flashbacks, and I may try to figure out how to do a cameo at some point, but for the most part this is Marina's time to shine. ;) Besides, I've already stated Alice is a full grown woman with a husband and kids (our beloved and oblivious new heroine being one of them), so it would be quite scandalous for her to be cavorting around with the yummy men of Wonderland like she did as a girl, wouldn't it? lol**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the NightmarexMarina moment. ;D That was fun to write; actually, Marina with all the guys and their range of reactions has been fun to write thus far. I just like to think dream!Nightmare is so suave and mysterious, he could definitely give Blood a run for his money. But only in dreams. In the conscious world, he's frail and clingy and loses to his super hot, super cool assistant Gray every time. XD I figured he had to win some coolness points, somehow. This seemed the best way to do it~ What cha think? More men to come (she meets Boris and Gowland next!) Lots of great, slightly unbalanced guys for her to choose from. Whose it gonna be in the end? Not even I'm completely sure yet! Anyway, R&amp;R if you enjoyed this and would like to read more. Ciao for now. **

**P.S. I just read the second one-shot novel for the Dee &amp; Dum—Twin Lovers, and I gotta say I was really disappointed. I liked the first one-shot book for them much better. In the second one, they basically shared a personality, were super clingy and acted like kids even while in their adult forms, which made them being romantic with Alice kind of weird and creepy. They also called her "big sis" even while being intimate. It made it seem even more like Alice was some kind of child predator. O.o**


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